Indiana is known for its high school basketball. In 1990, the Hoosier Dome saw a record-setting crowd of 41,046 fans for the state finals.
The Hoosier State produced the No. 1 team in the nation in 2005-06 as
Lawrence North (Indianapolis) went 29-0 en route to the Class 4A state title.
That led us to question where Lawrence North stacks up against the top teams in the state since the turn of the century. Evaluating resumes, national rankings and talent on the rosters, we put together a list of the top teams in Indiana since 2000. See the complete breakdown below.
Trey Lyles in action for Arsenal Tech during his senior year in 2013.
Photo: Randy Sartin
Record: 29-0
National ranking: No. 1
Notable players: Mike Conley, Greg Oden, Brandon McDonald, Qadr Owen, Damian Windham
Rundown: Oden and Conley guided the Wildcats to 45 consecutive victories and three consecutive state titles, culminating with a national title during their senior campaigns. Oden may have been the most dominant high school center of the 2000s, averaging 22.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks while shooting 74 percent from the field during his senior year.
Record: 29-0
National ranking: No. 2
Notable players: David Barlow, Justin Cage, Courtney Lee, Robert Vaden, Darren Yates
Rundown: Behind 2003 Indiana Mr. Basketball Cage and future NBA guard Lee, the Blue Devils ran the table in impressive fashion. Pike capped its title run with a 65-52 victory over DeKalb led by a team-high 21 points from Vaden, 14 points and 13 rebounds from Cage and 15 points from Lee.
Record: 28-1
National ranking: No. 7
Notable players: Matt Backs, Todd Chin, Allen Miller, Reggie Nevels, Zach Randolph
Rundown: Future NBA all-star Randolph exploded for 28 points and nine rebounds on 13 of 22 from the field in a 62-56 Class 4A state title game victory over Bloomington North. Randolph thoroughly outplayed Mr. Basketball selection Jared Jeffries, who shot just 5 of 17 from the field. The state championship was Marion's second in three seasons and seventh overall.
4. Lawrence North, 2004-05
Record: 24-2
National ranking: No. 6
Notable players: Donald Cloutier, Mike Conley, Brandon McPherson, Greg Oden, Tyler Morris
Rundown: Then-junior Oden displayed his dominance in the state championship game,
finishing with 29 points, nine rebounds and six blocks on 14 of 19 from
the field to will Lawrence North to a 63-52 victory over Muncie Central
(Muncie).
Senior guard McPherson was the only other Wildcat to score in
double-figures with 11 points in North's second of three consecutive championships.
Record: 27-2
National ranking: No. 3
Notable players: Mikey Jones, Trey Lyles, Jeremie Tyler, C.J. Walker, Josh Whitfield
Rundown: Led by Lyles, who averaged 23.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists en route to Mr. Basketball honors, Tech won its only state title. The Titans notched quality out-of-state wins over Ballard (Louisville, Ky.), Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) and Villa Angela-St Joseph (Cleveland, Ohio) as well as in-state independent powerhouse La Lumiere (La Porte).
Record: 26-0
National ranking: No. 9
Notable players: Chaz Cooper, Darwin Davis Jr., Eric Fromm, Jordan Hulls, Spencer Turner
Rundown: Boasted the largest margin of victory in the state, defeating opponents by over 24 points per contest en route to the Class 4A state title. The Panthers, led by three senior starters in Cooper, Davis and Hulls, picked up a big win over their only out-of-state opponent Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.) 73-67 late in the year.
7. Lawrence North, 2003-04
Record: 29-2
National ranking: No. 8
Notable players: Mike Conley, Brandon McPherson, Greg Oden, Stefan Routt, Anthony Sargent
Rundown: This group laid the foundation for one of the most dominant stretches in Hoosier State history as Lawrence North finished the season ranked in the top 10 nationally during each of its three straight state title runs. Oden and Conley led the way in a 50-29 romp of Columbia City in the 4A title game.
Record: 32-0
National ranking: No. 14
Notable players: David Bell, Jesse Bingham, Antwaan Cushingberry, Dean Tate, Jakobie Robinson
Rundown: The Warriors were tested throughout the 2017-18 season with 15 contests decided by eight or fewer points and 10 games decided by five points or less. Senior guard Tate led all scorers with 22 points in the Warriors' 54-48 victory over Carmel in the 4A state title game to cap the unbeaten run.
Record: 26-1
National ranking: No. 16
Notable players: Luke Heady, John Michael Mulloy, Andrew Owens, Pete Suder, Karsten Windlan
Rundown: After losing to Brownsburg 52-50 in January, the Greyhounds rallied to win 15 consecutive games to close out the season.
10. Carmel, 2012-13
Record: 25-2
National ranking: No. 15
Notable players: Ryan Cline, James Crowley, Zach McRoberts, James Volovic, Michael Volovic
Rundown: After returning three starters from their state title run in 2011-12, the Greyhounds were able to repeat as Class 4A champions with a 57-53 victory over Cathedral (Indianapolis). Michael Volovic led the way with 19 points and seven assists on 7 of 12 from the field while Crowley chipped in 14 points while connecting on 7 of 8 free throw attempts.
